Hydraulic support systems for mine workings

ABSTRACT

A three frame assembly for an advancing roof support, each frame having a pit prop and a roof engaging cap. A shield in the form of suspended telescoping pipes is common to the three frames and is secured to the two outer frames for movement with the same. The shield prevents packing material from entering between the frames and is contoured for this purpose. The center frame may advance and subsequently the two end frames together with the shield advances. The roof engaging cap for each frame inclines downwardly at an angle generally parallel to the angle of rest of the packing material.

I United States Patent [151 3,702,061

Kuhn et al. 1 Nov. 7-, 1972 [54] HYDRAULIC SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR 3,530,4909/1970 Ward et al. ..9l/ 170 Ml MINE WORKINGS 3,570,255 3/1971Shuttleworth ..61/45 D [72] Inventors: Max Kuhn, Bochum Lan-gendreer;3,576,110 4/1971 Warns ..6l/45 D Gunter Bell Homeburg; wmy PrimaryExaminer-Dennis L. Taylor Watermann, Dortmund-Berghofen Attorney-Malcolmw. Fraser all of Germany I I 73] Assignee: Klockner-Werke AG, Duisburg,[57] ABSTRACT Germany A three frame assembly for an advancing roofsupport, each frame having a pit prop and a roof engaging cap. [22]Flled' Sept 1971 A shield in the form of suspended telescoping pipes is[21] App]. No.: 181,763 common to the three frames and is secured to thetwo outer frames for movement with the same. The shield RelatedApplication Data prevents packing material from entering between the[62] Division of Ser No 4 930 Jan 20 1970, Pat frames and is contouredfor this purpose. The center N 3 618 325 frame may advance andsubsequently the two end frames together with the shield advances. Theroof engaging cap for each frame inclines downwardly at an [52] U.S.Cl...61/45 D, 248/357 angle generally parallel to the ans: of rest of the[51] Int. Cl. ..E2ld 15/44 packing t i L [58] Field of Search ..61/45,D,63; 299/31, 33;

248/357, 3 54 H; 91/170 MP [56] References Cited 3 Claims, 3 DrawingFigures UNITED STATES PATENTS f 3,474,627 10/1969 Groetschel", ..61/45Dlllllililili q iilllllillilli illliliiililllllil i HYDRAULIC SUPPORTSYSTEMS FOR MINE WORKINGS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Thisapplication constitutes a division of application, Ser. No. 4,930, filedJan. 20, 1970, and entitled Hydraulic Support Systems for Mine Workings,now [1.8. Pat. No. 3,618,325.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Shields for protecting the advancing roofprop assemblies for mine use are concerned in this instance. Suchshields particularly bent to U-shaped replace wire netting, papers orwires formerly utilized frequently as packing shields, because thedurability of such shields is not good, and with the great advances inthe art,

which make possible the advancing hydraulic mine roof support, theseshields had to be replaced too frequently. The use of the shieldsfrequently formed from sheet metal must, however, on the one hand, takeplace so that the support assembly can advance, and on the other hand,theshielding of dirt or the like'during advance cannot permit theentrance of lumpy material into the retaining space for the props.

A two frame assembly is already known which utilizes two sheet metalparts as shielding'members which are suitably joined r articulated withone another. Such shielding members, on account of the mobility affordedby the frame joints or articulations, are easily subjected to damage bymaterial containing coarse pieces or lumps. The known shielding membersmade of U-shaped sheet metal up to now do not make possible the reliableshielding of the space between two or more frames when they are combinedinto one unit. Therefore, material gets into this space and easilyblocks the advancing movement of the mine roof supports. Besides, thedanger exists that the advancing devices, particularly the hydraulicprops, which are ordinarily arranged between the frames, are damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a three frame assemblyfor an advancing mine roof support, which is provided with a materialshielding means for shielding in all phases of the advance, the entirebottom and also the intermediary spaces between the frames against thepenetration of packing material. In accordance with the basic idea ofthe invention, this is achieved by the use of a shield fixed only to thetwo outer frames but covering all three frames. The shield is formed bya curtain of closely spaced telescoping pipes, the ends of which aresecured to the outer frame assemblies respectively.

Upon advance, then first the center frame is pushed forward, which takesplace protected from the packing insulation, which remains at thebreakage edge, and is held in'place by the two outer frames. When theouter frames are brought up or advanced, the shield moves twoconsecutively disposed three frame assemblies and not between the framesof an assembly. In view thereof, no packing material can penetrate tothe base plate means of the three frame assembly.

According to the invention, the rear ends of the mine roof engaging capsincline downwardly, so that in the driving position of the frameassembly a plane touching the cap ends, whose incidence is parallelgenerally to the angle of inclination of the packing material,encounters a rear angular portion of the U-shaped shield. Thus, it ispossible to keep the height of the U-shaped shield relatively low, andnot only save material and weight, but also restrain the packingmaterial.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a shieldfor a three frame assembly for an advancing mine roof;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation; and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The three frame assemblyillustrated in the drawings consists of frames A. B, C with hydraulicprops or roof supports on the packing side (only prop Al being shown),base-rails A2, B2, C2 and roof supporting caps A3, B3, C3.

In the embodiment by way of example according to FIGS. 1 to 3, the uppersupporting caps on the packing side are constructed in predeterminedmanner, which is to be explained more in detail in the example of thecap I A3. The end 5 of this cap facing the packing is inclineddownwardly so that at 6 the upper peak of the angle results, whichincludes the downwardly inclined end' portion 5 joined to a forwardlyextending front part 7. At the peak of the angle there is formed abreakage edge D extending upwardly and illustrated in dotted lines. Atthe outer end of the part 5 of the cap occurs the packing slope.

On the packing side there is arranged a curtain formed by a row ofclosely spaced telescoping rods 30 providing a flat shield covering thethree frames A, B, and C. A transversely extending beam 13 on thepacking side is secured respectively to the props A and C. The frames Aand C are advanced simultaneously by suitable hydraulic rams (not shown)after the middle frame B has advanced. I

The telescoping rods 30 consist of upper pipes 33 which are guidedtelescopically in lower pipes 31. The bottom ends of the lower pipes 31are secured to a bracket 36 which is secured only to the base rails A,and C, of the frames A and C respectively. The upper ends of the rods 33are secured to a horizontal guide rod 32 which is connected only to theroof supporting caps A and C, as indicated at 34 and 35.

What we claim is:

1. In an advancing mine roof support,

a three frame assembly for advancing mine roof supeach frame assemblyhaving a base rail, a hydraulic roof support and a roof supporting cap,

a shield extending across the rear of said frames and consisting of arow of closely spaced vertically disposed telescoping rods,

means providing a connection between the upper rods and the caps of saidend frame assemblies,

means providing a connection between the lower rods and the base railsof said end frame assem blies,

bracket means on each of the outer frame assemblies, and

beams extending transversely of said shield and upper rods and the endframe assembly caps comprises a guide rod connected respectively to thecaps of the outer end frames, and a connection between the upper end ofeach upper rod and said guide rod.

3. -In an advancing mine roof support as claimed in claim 1, in whichsaid connection between the lower rods and the base rails comprises'abracket supporting the lower ends of the lower rods of the screen, and aconnection between said bracket and the outer frame assemblies.

t a: n: w a

1. In an advancing mine roof support, a three frame assembly foradvancing mine roof support, each frame assembly having a base rail, ahydraulic roof support and a roof supporting cap, a shield extendingacross the rear of said frames and consisting of a row of closely spacedvertically disposed telescoping rods, means providing a connectionbetween the upper rods and the caps of said end frame assemblies, meansproviding a connection between the lower rods and the base rails of saidend frame assemblies, bracket means on each of the outer frameassemblies, and beams extending transversely of said shield and securedat opposite ends to said bracket means, thereby enabling the outermostframe assemblies along with said shield to be advanced while theintermediate assembly is under load, and the intermediate assembly isadvanced when the outermost frame assemblies are under load.
 2. In anadvancing mine roof support as claimed in claim 1, in which saidconnection means between the upper rOds and the end frame assembly capscomprises a guide rod connected respectively to the caps of the outerend frames, and a connection between the upper end of each upper rod andsaid guide rod.
 3. In an advancing mine roof support as claimed in claim1, in which said connection between the lower rods and the base railscomprises a bracket supporting the lower ends of the lower rods of thescreen, and a connection between said bracket and the outer frameassemblies.